Safety-stop for trains.



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@was UZO/j L. T. DIEBOLT.

SAFETY STOP POR TRAINS.

APPLIGMION FILED MAY 25 1907 w1 hun@ @252/ W M nm ,r w M mv/; m 0u E. m l m 37M di m j@ E J N E A m J 2 n m 7 y T N o@ E T w A QM. v P NW j W Il A5, 4 mz Y y i .MRM BUD i EPB .I T.. E TMm LYM Tm .nu

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UNTTED sTATns PATENT ornion.4

LEWIS T. DIEBOLT, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR. OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK L. HARTWIOK, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

SAFETY-STOP FOR TRAINS.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEwIs T. DIEBOLT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Stops for Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety appliances for railroads, and relates more particularly to an automatic train stopping` apparatus whereby the brakes are set under any emergency condition, as for instance where an engineer carries his train beyond a danger signal without noticing the same or approaches an open'drawbridge, wash-out, or any other danger that might result in a train wreck and loss of life, thus absolutely avoiding accidents which might otherwise occur through negligence, inability or other cause on the part of the engineer and fireman.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and.

operation of devices of this character so as to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture and install, thoroughly reliable and efficient in use, and readily applicable for block. signals, switches, washout devices, drawbridges and the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatically actuated relief valve arranged on the locomotive for letting out the air pressure in the train .pipe to set the brakes under emergency conditions, means being provided for re-setting the valve from the cab of the locomotive.

A still further object is the employment of a trip device arranged along the railroad track and adapted to be thrown into the path of the air brake relief valve under any emergency or danger condition, the mechanism for actuating the trip including suitably arranged cushioning devices or buffers for preventing severe shocks.

Another object is to provide a signaling app aratus including a plurality of semaphores or signals adapted to be operated by a single actuator and which may be operatively connected with the track-tripping device so as t0 throw the latter into operative position when any semaphore or signal is in danger position. l

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel fea- Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

tures of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a railroad track equipped with the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar view from the opposite side. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the trip device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the buffer or cushioning device included in the mechanism for throwing the track-trip. Fig 5 is a perspective view of the semaphores and the actuating mechanism therefor. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the lost motion connection between each semaphore and its actuating rod. Fig. 7 is a side elevation with parts in section of the apparatus ada table for switches. Fig. 8 is an enlarged d tail view of the relief or reducing valve for the train pipe of the air brake system. Fig. 9 is a central vertical section of the said valve. Fig. l() is a transverse section on line 10-10 Fig. 8. Fig. l1 is a horizontal section on line llv-ll, Fig. 9, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a railroad track which is equipped with the train-stopping apparatus. In Fig. l, the track is shown equipped with a block signaling or other device such as semaphores B with which is associated a tri ping device C arranged at a suitable point a ong the track..

The tripping device comprises an arm or trip l mounted on a horizontal shaft 2 disposed under one of the rails 3, as shown in Fig. 3, and journaled in appropriate bearings 4. The arm 1 is located at the inside of the track 3 and befween the latter and a guard 5. On the outer end of the shaft 2 is a toothed sector v6 with which meshes a horizontal rackbar 7 whereby the arm l can be inclined in one direction or the other so as to be'out of the path of the valve devices on the locomo-l tives when the semaphores are set to clear position. The rack bar 7 is actuated by a rod 8 movable longitudinally in brackets 9 suitably arranged on the cross ties l0 of the track. The actuating rod 8 is shown in Figs. l and 2 connected with` the semaphorethrowing mechanism so that when either semaphore'is dropped to non-danger position, the trip or arm 1 will be depressed and permit the approaching train to pass without causing the brakes to be set. Included in the actuating rod 8 is a buiiing device designated generally by 11 and'which, as shown in Fig. 4, comprises a pair of overlapping and interconnected yokes 12 that contain oppositely acting helical compression springs 13 and 14 so arranged that the arm 1 can yield in one direction or the other when struck by the valve-actuating means on the locomotive. Thus, when the arm 1 is depressed to the right by the passage of a train, the spring 14 will be compressed, while the other spring is compressed when the arm is depressed in the opposite direction.

The semaphore signaling` mechanism comprises a pair of semaphores 15 oppositely disposed and mounted on a common Vfulcrum 16 on the upper end of a post 17, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Flach semaphore has a weight 18 that maintains it in horizontal position. Attached to each semaphore is an actuating rod 19 that includes a lost motion connection designated by 20. This lost motion connection comprises a hollow cylindrical member 21, as shown in Fig. 6, which is hingedly connected at its upper end to the semaphore at a point 22, and the upper end of the rod 19 is provided with a piston-like head 23 movable in the cylindrical member, the latter having an abutment 24 with which the head 23 engages when it is desired to pull the semaphore downwardly. The lower ends of the actuating rods are connected by a lever' 25 with a horizontal rock shaft 26 suitably mounted on beams 27. @ne end of the rock shaft 26 is provided with an arm 2S th at connects by a pitman 29 with the trip-throwing rod 8, as

clearly shown in Fig. 2. The rock shaft may be operated't'rom a switch towerI or any other suitable point and'ior the purpose ot illustration, an operating lever 3() is shown connected therewith. The lever 30 has a latch .device 31 that cooperates with a toothed sector 32, as shown in Fig. 1 whereby the parts can be held in normal position or either one of the semaphores held in clear position. When the controlling lever 30 is in the position shown, the semaphores indicatepthat the track is not clear tor trattic and the trip arm 1 1s in upright position so as to cause the air brakes to be set should the engineer run the train past without heeding the signal and thereby bring the train to a 'full stop. When the towerman or operator desires to give a clear signal to the approaching train, the shalt 26. is rocked in one direction or the other to drop the desired semaphore and at the same time depress the trip arm 1. By rocking the shaft 26, one of the actuating rods 19 moves upwardly and has no enfect on its semaphore by reason of the intermediate lost 'motion connection 20, whereas the other semaphore is pulled downwardly by means ot the head 23 on the rod 19 engaging the abutment 24 ot the member 21. When the shaft 26 is turned back to normal position. the lowered semaphore will automaticalhv return by reason oi its weight 1S. It will thus be seen. that both semaphores can be operated by a single controlling lever and that they are moved positively in one direction by the lever and returned to normal position by their counterlmlance weights.

The locomotives running over the railroad equipped with the safety appliances are providedvfitl'i valves that are adapted to be opened by the trip arms 1 under any emergency condition so as to let out the pressure in the train pipe and permit the air brakes to be automatically set. ln Fig. 1 is shown a locomotive D equipped with an automatic relief valve mechanism, designated generally by E. This ineclranismA comprises a c vlindrical valve easing 33, as shown in F ti to 10 inclusive that is disposed in a vertical position and suspended adjacent the track and at any suitable point on the locomotive by means ot a bracket 34, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. ln the easing 33 is a valve 35 cui away longitudinally at 36 to liorm a chamber 37 of semi-cylindrical Vform. as shown in Fig. 10. The valve casing is'provided with two sets of outlet ports 38 eonnnunieating with the atmosphere and at a point centrally between the ports is a pipe 39 connected with the train pipe ol" the air brake system. N ormally, the end ot' the pipe 39 is closed by the valve 3.5 so that the pressure will be maintained in the train pipe, and as soon as the valve is rocked in one direction or the other to cause the ports 38 ot either set to communicate with the pipe 39, the pressure in the latter is released and the brakes automatically set. The lower end of the valve is provided with a head 4() from which projects a horizontally and laterally extending arm 41 that is adapted to encounter the arm 1 ol the track-tripping device (l. To limit the movement oi the valve, suitably arranged stops 42, Figs. and 11, arc provided with which the striking` arm 41 engigs when rocked in one direction or the other. Over the arm 41 is a housing that is rigidly attached to the valve easing or other itiXed part and serves to protect the arm 41 Vl'rom obstructions that might get in its way. This housing has a slot 44 for accommodating the arm 1 ot the tripping device U. In order to readily re-set the valve 35, the stem 45 thereof is provided with a crank arm 46 at its upper end, as shown in Fig. S, which is connected with an actuating rod 47, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the engineer can re-set the valve trom within the cab, when it is desired to release the brakes and start the train.

` ets 53.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the track trip C has a. rack bar 48 for actuating the trip. arm 49 through vthe gear 50 which bar is extended at both ends that are'providedwith cushioning devices 5l. Detached with these devices are rods 52` which, like the rack bar is movable horizontally in bearings 53. One bar 52 is connected with a flexible element 54 and the other with. a flexible element 55 that passes over a pulley 56 and between sets of rollers 57 on the bearing brack- These flexible elements may be con nected with any suitable switch-throwing or other mechanismso that as draft is produced on.v one element the track trip 49 can be moved in. one direction and returned to normal position by a draft on the other flexible element.

j From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the a paratus shown is merely illustrative and tiat such changes may be made when desired, as .are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a locomotive, a

train pipe, a valve casing supported on the locomotive and connected with the train pipe, a valve in the casing mounted to rock, means for setting the valve from the cab of the locomotive, a head on the valve, and an arm extending from the head, with a trip de- -vice adapted to be located in the path of the sai'd arm and adapted to yield downwardly in either direction, means for throwing the said device to and from an erect position, and

j nection between the lever and device, said connection including oppositely disposed springs arranged to permit the member to move in either direction when the trip device is depressed by a train passing in either direction.

3. -In an apparatus of the class described,

l the combination of atrack, an oscillatory trip device, an actuating element composed of a plurality of sections, means for actuating the element in either direction, and cushioning devices between the adjacent sections of the an actuating member extendingparallel.

withv the track, a rack and gear mechanism between the member and tripping device, a f

cushioning means connected with the mem.- ber and including oppositely disposed yielding devices acting on the member, and; an operating mechanism for the member.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, a signal device, a

tripping mechanism adjacent the track adapted to bring a train to-rest, and a commony actuating mechanism for the signal and tripping mechanism and including slidably connected members and separately acting compressible devices between the members for yieldingly holding the tripping mechanism in operative position.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supporting structure, semaphores extending from opposite sides thereof, a common pivot for the semaphores, a rock shaft, and connections between the shaft and semaphores for actuating the latter independently.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supporting post, semaphores, a common pivot therefor, a rock shaft, members between the rock shaft and semaphores and each including a lost mo,- tion connection, and weights on the semaphores for returning the same to normal position.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a plurality of semaphores, with a common actuating mechanism including lost motion connections permitting the semaphores to be actuated independently, each connection comprising a member hinged on the semaphore, and a longitudinally movable rod slidably united with the hinged member to move with the latter in one direction and without it in the opposite direction.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a plurality of pivoted semaphores each weighted at one end to return automatically to normal position, with an actuating mechanism for independently moving the semaphores in opposition to their weights said mechanism comprising an actuating member connected with each semaphore at a point located at the side of the pivot opposite from the weight of the semaphore, an operating lever moved in `one direction for actuating one semaphore and in the opposite direction for actuating the other semaphore, and devices between the lever and semaphores providing for lost motion.

l0. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a plurality of semaphores, a rock shaft, members between the shafts and semaphores for actuating the latter, a lost motion connection between each member and semaphore, and means for rocking the shaft. l

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a semaphore, a rock shaft, a connection between the shaft and semaphore for actuating the latter, a tripping device, a connectionbetween the tripping device and rock shaft, a cushioning device included in said connection for permitting the device to be actuated by a train going in either direction and Ineans for operating the shaft.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, an oscillating member adjacent the track, a plurality of semaphores, and an operating mechanism common to the member and semaphores and arranged to actuate the semaphores independently to throw them to clear position.

1.3. In an apparatus ot the class described,

the combination of a track, a tripping device, with a train pipe controlling valve, mounted to turn, on a vertical axis, a member connected with the valve and arranged to be engaged by the tripping device, stops for limiting the movement of the said member, and :means for resetting the valvefrom a remote p oint.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a valve casing, means for supporting the same on a locomotive, a train pipe connected with the casing, an oscillatory valve for permitting the pipe to discharge into the atmosphere, an arm. connected with the valve to actuate the latter in either direction, and a manually actuated means for resetting the valve.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of witnesses.

' IIEVVIS T. DIEBOIIT.

itnesses MICHAEL F. SULLIVAN,

FRANK Liao HAnTwIoK, EDITH PIIILLIP. 

